1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ice bank and a refrigerator including the ice bank.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, refrigerators are apparatuses that can keep food fresh for a predetermined period by cooling a storage chamber, that is, a freezing compartment or a cool chamber while repeating a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion unit, and an evaporator.
The refrigerators include a main body that forms storage spaces and doors that selectively close the main body. Reserves are received in the storage spaces and a user can open the doors to take out the reserves.
Further, the refrigerators are equipped with an ice machine that manufactures ices and a dispenser through which the ices manufactured by the ice maker is taken out. The ice machine may be disposed in the refrigerator door.
According to the refrigerators of the related art, when the ice machine is disposed in the refrigerator door, there is a problem in that the storage space of the storage room reduces as much as the size of the ice machine. Therefore, the thickness of the ice machine is limited to a predetermined width and it cannot increase to the predetermined width or more not to reduce the storage space.
On the contrary, there is a problem in that the amount of ice that can be stored is limited, when the ice machine, particularly, the ice bank where the ices are stored is formed in a small size in consideration of the storage space of the storage room.
Further, a driving unit and power transmission units are provided for the ice bank to take out the ices, but there is a problem in that the ice storage space of the ice bank is reduced by the volumes of the driving unit or the power transmission units.